Powering Up: Lack of sleep creates need for artificial energy

By: Sierra Steen

It’s 3 in the morning, and while it is expected to be asleep at this time, there are still screens glowing in the dark of midnight.

Whether it is due to simply not being able to fall asleep, stress or catching up on homework, many high school students are seeing that getting a good night’s rest is getting harder and harder.

In order to make up for a lack of sleep, young people are turning to different ways to keep themselves awake.

While staying home and catching up on sleep might seem like the best option, sometimes it is simply not feasible. School, work and other stresses take up our time during the day, and in order to tackle these head on, we have to be as alert as possible.

Both a blessing and a curse, caffeine has impacted our lives in a huge way. It gives us that awake feeling that we desire, even if we didn’t get a wink of sleep.

After both talking about and seeing for myself the impact that caffeine gives to people, I have come to the conclusion that we as a generation have become addicted. Simply looking around a classroom or hallway will guarantee that you see at least one cup of coffee or energy drink. Some people told me that they can’t even go a single day without coffee and that it makes them feel physically sick when they do.

It only gets worse as we grow older. The cups of coffee increase as our time for sleep decreases. We are too busy to even take a short nap.

Guilty of this myself, I find that I have to take caffeine pills every once in a while to ensure that I stay alert.

As great as getting enough sleep sounds, artificial energy is sometimes the only option

Many times, people find themselves looking at a screen or their ceiling as they try to find the will to sleep. Instead of dreaming and resting their brains after a long day, their minds swirl with thoughts that keep them up until their eyes greet the rising sun, and they proceed to get up and get their first hot cup of coffee of the day.